trouble comes from France
[x]Title: Voodoo
[x]Author: hildekitten
[x]Rating: all ages
[x]Warning: none
[x]Pairing: the usual suspects
[x]Genre: General
[x]Spoilers: n/a, this happens after the events of season 1
[x]Summary: A vampire serial killer is on the loose in LA with religious slaughter in mind. And to top it off one of Mick's "uncles" shows up in LA with his own agenda.
[x]Disclaimer: Not my toys, I'm just borrowing them, no infringement is intended!
1. Reunion
2. Really no such thing as vampires
3. On the prowl
4. Fresh from the vein
5. Busted
6. Can't choose your relatives, part 1 and 2
Halloween
The Wild Hunt part 1, two and three.
The vampire gentlemen’s club, the pinnacle of proper social behaviour for vampire society. There was a soft hum of conversations and Symphony nr 5 playing in the background. Vampires were playing pool, enjoying a quiet drink amongst friends or business partners, generally minding themselves or their own little circle. Ophelia was the only vampire girl in there, all the other women present were mortal freshies. She was playing chess with a tall gorgeous blonde man who seemed to be in his mid twenties, his long golden blonde hair nearly reaching his waist. He was dressed in an all black suit with white shirt and black skinny tie.
“Consider you next move carefully.” His deep voice was soft when he spoke, a twinkle of amusement in his blue eyes as he crossed his long legs, earning himself a few disapproving looks from other men present over his combat boots under his suit. If he even noticed them he ignored them.
She bit her bottom lip in concentration before moving a piece on the board.
“Very clever.” He nodded appreciatively.
“Why are you here? It can’t be to beat me at chess yet again.”
“I’m here on business, besides if you keep playing like that I fear it would be me that will get beaten at chess this time.”
“You’re with the Paris police department, what possible business could you have here.”
“I’m working with the local D.A.’s office, my contact is a Ben Talbot, I’m supposed to meet him later.”
She gave him her best sceptic look “Just tell me what’s going on.”
“Angelique is back.” He made his move on the chessboard.
She let out a low whistle.
“I need your help Ophelia.”
“Oh this is just beyond the pale!”
“You know I do.”
“Ok fine but only because I like Ben Talbot and grandfather would never let me hear the end of it if I don’t keep an eye on you.” She said dryly, making her next move. “Checkmate!” she shouted triumphantly.
“You’ve gotten better at this.” He nodded appreciatively at her game and leaned back, sipping from his glass, his intense blue eyes unreadable.
You remind me of the babe
What babe?
the babe with the power
What power?
power of voodoo
Who do?
you do
Do what?
remind me of the babe
*fade to Josef wandering into Mick’s office.*
Mick was sitting at his desk, filling out paperwork. He sat back when he saw his best friend let himself in as usual and leaned back into his chair.
“Josef, what brings you here?” He sounded glad for the distraction.
“Trouble.” Josef said earnestly.
“What kind?”
“Woman trouble.” Josef flopped down in the opposite chair, swinging one leg over another and leaning back casually.
“Did you have a fight with Simone?”
“Oh no, nothing like that, we’re peachy, peas in a pod if you get my saying.”
“I get it, I get it.”
“But we do have an issue. And it is with a woman.” He threw a photo on the desk, the young woman in the photo looked menacing, mocha coloured skin and brown eyes so dark they could have easily been mistaken for black. “Angelique Moreau, a vampire bokor. And one of the most dangerous serial killers our kind has ever encountered. She pops up once every couple of years and leaves a trail of bodies in her wake. She’s come to L.A. I need you to find her so we can deal with her permanently, before she reveals our secret to the world.”
“What’s a bokor?” Mick sounded suspicious.
“Evil voodoo priestess.”
“Well that’s different at least.”
“Don’t worry, it’s all hocus pocus mind tricks and no real magic. You know how it is with these witches.” He even made air quotes at the word witches.
“Uhu” Mick nodded mildly amused. “When you say ‘we’ you really mean me and my sister right?”
“Of course!” Josef smiles. “Use that blood hound of hers too if you must.”
“Thought so.” Mick sighed deeply studying the photo. “So tell me more about her.”
“She’s about four hundred years old, only a little younger than myself, originally a slave girl. She grew up with the old beliefs of her people, it is whispered that once she was turned she used her so called powers of voodoo to kill those that enslaved her. She’s been killing in the name of her religion ever since. Every once in a while she shows up, sacrifices several humans and disappears again. Or better said, butchers them. She attracts far too much attention on our kind, especially since recently the bodies are drained too, I don’t need to explain to you what an exposure risk she is I’m sure!” Josef was getting worked up, as he usually did with impending revelation of the existence of vampires. Or what he saw as impending exposure and the revelation of vampire kind at least.
Mick voice-over
“Just when I think I’ve seen everything something new comes up. And when I generally think that paranoia is just another for of art or a hobby to Josef, I have to agree with him this time, this ‘bokor’ could pose a serious threat to our secrecy. Plus I really ate it when vamps bring their antics to LA. This is my turf.”
*fade to Ben’s office.*
Carl was reaching out a hand to the tall blonde French cop and shaking it.
“Lieutenant Carl Davis, nice to meet you.”
“Detective Jules Duvall. The pleasure is all mine.”
“Wow your English is excellent, you can’t even hear much of an accent. I’m sure ADA Talbot will be here any time, he’s running late from court. Ophelia do you need me to pass Ben a message?” Carl was dropping clues for her to leave.
“I’m working the case.” She said matter of factly.
“Says who?” Carl gave her a look of disbelief and put his hands in his side in his usual annoyed way.
“She’s assisting me.” Jules said. “We worked together in France so I looked her up.”
“I hope you know what you’re getting into my friend.” Carl said dryly, but with a chuckle. “She’s a handful.”
“Don’t I know it.” Jules nodded in agreement.
“I’m standing right here you know!” Ophelia complained.
“Detective Duvall I presume?” Ben interrupted them, entering his office.
He walked in with Beth, leaning in to kiss Ophelia on the cheek in greeting.
“Yes, Ben Talbot?”
“Yes indeed, and this is my assistant Beth Turner.”
“Enchanté.” He bowed and kissed Beth’s hand, making her blush a rather vibrant shade of red.
“You say your last name is Duvall, are you by any chance related to Sir Cédric?” she looked at him curiously, eyes narrowed in suspicion.
“Yes, yes I am. Does it show?” he asked warmly, leaning in just a little too closely.
“Very much so indeed, you have the same hair colour, and eyes.” Beth blushed some more.
“Ophelia steered Jules away from Beth, into Ben’s office proper, making faces at him.”
“Quoi?!”
“Tu sais parfaitement bien Jules!”
“Do they know each other?” Ben asked.
“If I’m not mistaken that’s one of Cédric’s boys so yes.” Beth replied, slowly returning to her usual skin tone.
Ben went wide eyed. “Really?”
“I take it the St-John and Duvall families are close then?” Carl asked, sounding not all that interested.
“You could say that yes.” Beth nodded.
*fade to Logan’s basement, where Mick and Beth were standing behind Logan rapidly typing at his keyboard.*
“I’ve looked up all the occult stores known to be dealing with voodoo, and all the places unknown to google and legitimate internet searches that are known to host gatherings. I’ve included the santeria ones too, just to be complete, although from what I understand about this, and that isn’t a lot, it’s not the same thing. Sadly the list is short because apparently this is a rather close-knit and secretive community. Invitation only sort of stuff. But this should at least get you on your way.”
“Thanks man.” Mick said, slapping a roll of bills in Logan’s hand.
“Are we sure this is where she’ll be?” Beth asked, suspiciously eyeing some of Logan’s new female action figures.
“Well no, but we need to start somewhere whilst my ‘uncle’ runs about town with my sister and your boss. What’s he like anyway? Anything like Lance?”
“Lance scares me. A lot.” Logan interjected nodding sagely.
“He’s nothing like Lance at all!” Beth sounded airy. “He’s charming, and looks like a male supermodel.”
Mick just made a face at her and Logan raised his eyebrows, looking from Beth to Mick and back.
“Oh you’ll see soon enough, we’re meeting at the Edison in 20 minutes.” Beth sighed, giving them both an “oh you’ll understand when you see him” kind of look.
*fade to the Edison*
The Edison was quiet enough, some people having drinks or lunch, talking in a friendly atmosphere. Jules was leaning on a high table, flirting with a pretty black haired girl in a grey dress that hugged her perfect figure. She seemed very receptive to his charm, giggling and sipping her drink whilst batting her eyelids at him.
“He looks a lot younger than your uncle Lance. And a lot different.” Ben was looking at Jules with a frown on his face. He was trying to have a salad lunch but kept on finding himself distracted by the display of French flirtation across the room.
“Oh Jules is the belle epoch golden boy, in the early twentieth century grandfather and Célia just had to have another kid and broke out the compound. Apparently seven kids is for quitters.”
“I don’t know, your parents and mine both stopped at two, two seems a good number for kids. Seven just seems very excessive” Ben mused.
“So you want two kids then?”
“Some day yeah.” He smiled warmly at her. “No rush though, we’re both still young.”
She grinned. “Two sounds fine.”
He glanced over to Jules again and then to his own girlfriend “You seem very close.”
Ben took a sip from his juice, his eyes met hers.
Ophelia just chuckled.
Ben narrowed his eyes “what’s the deal?”
“He’s my ex boyfriend.” She said dryly, just as Ben was drinking from his glass. He chocked on the drink, coughing loudly. Beth, who had just walked in with Mick quickened her pace to their table and started slapping him on the back.
“What did you say to him?” She asked Ophelia. “I bet it’s good. Oh my god, is he at it _again_?” Having noticed Jules flirting rather shamelessly she shook her head.
“That is one exceedingly handsome guy.” Mick nodded earnestly, resisting the need to let out a low whistle from being impressed. “Josef is going to get so much stress, I have to introduce them.” He smiled evilly.
“Did you know your sister dated him?” Ben asked, still in shock.
“You did?!” Mick exclaimed, joining his friend’s shock.
“It was a long time ago, can we get back to the case here?”
“I like this story better I’m sure.”
“Case first, and maybe if you’re good, I’ll tell the story later. Jules, laisse cette fille et rejoin nous s’il-te-plait .” She shouted out at her uncle in perfect French.
“Une minute Ophelia.”
“No, maintenant Jules, on n’as pas toute la journée tu sais.”
He rolled his eyes, apologised to the girl, who was positively swooning at the display of French and wandered over.
“Jealous?”
She made a thinking face, holding up her hands in a measuring sort of way. Hmmm golden haired gorgeous playboy who can’t keep his dick in his pants versus gorgeous tall dark and wiry who’s loyal to the core.” She balanced her hands in abundantly clear favour of Ben. “How ever could I be jealous of that girl you were flirting with?” she chuckled then and smiled.
“You forgot divine in bed.” Jules joked along.
“You are right, I did forget to state Ben is divine in bed.” She replied dryly.
Ben cleared his throat, his discomfort at the situation obvious. “Right, back to the case. As we know Angelique kills in the name of religion. Our best way would be to find someone who can infiltrate that community and sniff her out. Sadly, we don’t have anyone who we can trust who has the knowledge to get in. By the time we’ve reached out to all the precincts to see if they have someone it’ll be a week from now at best but it seems to be the best bet so far. Carl is already making the enquiries.”
“Oh but we do have someone.” Jules smiled.
“We do?” Beth asked.
Jules lazily waved a hand at Ophelia. “Natural redhead and a seer. And a practitioner.”
“Of Santeria, yes, in the past. And there’s a huge difference between being a bokor and a voodoun, as you well know.”
“Wing it. There’s lives at stake. There were enough victims in Paris last year.”
“So you are a witch…” Mick said, narrowing his eyes.
“Were, past tense. I didn’t lie when I said I’m not a witch. I’ve not been a practising believer since the ninetees, not after Angelique showed up in Paris...”
“Yeah but you still know how things flow in the community, that means that you have a better chance of getting anywhere than either one of us.” Jules continued, trying to convince her.
“Fine, fine I’ll do it.”
“Think of Paris my dear.” He said, pronouncing Paris in French.
Flash back to Paris.
Ophelia is walking into the room with Jules, gasping at the carnage in front of them. There’s several bodies on the floor in front of an altar. Their hearts removed. Flies circling crawling in and out of the wounds, out of mouths and over dead eyes still open in terror. The stench of death is sending several police officers outside to throw up. She turns, hiding her face in Jules’ long black coat.
Jules is holding Ophelia against him and whispers “do your thing seer.”
“Do your thing seer.”
She snaps out of it, looking back at Jules.
“Show me the last crime scene.”
“Mick can take you, here’s the address, I’ll alert LAPD you are there with my authorisation. Jules, Beth and I will start to do some interviews of people from the community.” Ben hands Mick a piece of paper and a set of keys.
“Awkward.” Beth whispered at Mick whilst kissing him softly before leaving with the two men.
Mick-voice over
“How typical is it that this guy is my sister’s ex. I knew she had been with someone in France for a long time but I didn’t think, well I hoped really, that it wouldn’t be someone from the family. I suppose that on the upside, at least she didn’t date Lance.”
*fade to an occult shop, there’s a crime scene ribbon stretched over the entrance.*
Mick pulled it loose on one side, opening the door with the key he got off Talbot.
“What does Jules expect you to do? Get a vision on command?”
“My senses are just a little sharper than yours remember.”
“There’s something not quite right about Jules, other than the fact he’s obviously a man whore. What did you see in that guy?” Mick blurts it out, obviously needing to get to the bottom of this huge big riddle taunting his sanity.
“I wonder that too every time I see him, we’re a lot better off as friends. But you are correct, then again, he didn’t start out quite human so I suppose I shouldn’t be too hard on him.” She shrugs and wanders into the store, staring at the mess in front of her.
The realisation dawns on Mick’s face. “He’s a crossbreed isn’t he?”
“Like mother like son in this case. A werewolf before a vampire.”
“Did you tell Ben?”
“Oh lord no, it’ll be so much more fun when he works it out himself, the look on his face will be priceless, I just hope I’ll be there to see it.”
“This is payback for last time isn’t it?”
“Hell yeah.”
“You have a mean streak sis. Some would say you’re evil, just be careful so this kind of behaviour doesn’t backfire.” He looks around properly for the first time, letting out a low whistle. “Speaking of evil…”
“I am my grandsire’s granddaughter.” She replied dryly. “Now shush and let me concentrate.”
She put both her hands on the ground, onto spots of dried blood, concentrating, tapping into her oracular ability as far as it’ll let her.
She sees flashes of fear from the shopkeeper, eyes wide at the sight of Angelique vamped out. Hears his screams, to no avail because there’s no one that hears him, no one to come to his aid. The slow thump of his still beating heart in her hands as she grinned and drained the blood from it. Then the sight of Angelique tearing through the shop, frustrated.”
“She’s looking for something…” Ophelia whispered, too quiet for her brother to hear.
“Did you get anything? All I can sense is bloodshed and fear.”
“I said Angelique is looking for something, but I don’t know what.”
“Let’s go through the stock and see we find any clues.”
She nodded, standing up again and looking around.
Mick reached out, a hand on her shoulder and looking at her pale face with worry in his eyes. “You ok?”
“Yeah, I’ll be fine.”
*fade to Jules who is interrogating a suspect in an interrogation room at the DA’s offices.*
“You speak French right?” Beth asked Ben.
“Not a damned word. I’m starting to think I should have send you with Mick and kept Ophelia here to translate.”
“At least the DA won’t complain about translator fees this time.” Beth offers a silver lining.
Ben smirks “that’s true yes.”
“You don’t trust him don’t you?” She asked, looking at Ben questioningly.
“No. No I don’t. And it’s not because he’s Ophelia’s ex, there’s something about him, something that’s not quite right.”
“Well he is a Duvall, there’s something off about that entire family.”
“There’s something to say to that. Here he comes.”
Jules came back outside, joining Ben and Beth. “Apparently Angelique is looking for the heart and eyes of a seer. She believes it will give her the powers of an oracle.”
“We need to find Ophelia.” Ben fished his blackberry from her pocket.
“Ophelia’s with Mick, the both will be able to deal with Angelique right?” Beth asked, sounding concerned.
“In theory yes, but I rather not take chances.” Ben nodded, dialing his girlfriend’s number. “Answer phone, why is it always her answer phone.” He growled.
“Lia, it’s Ben, call me as soon as you hear this. I mean it.” He sounded more than a little annoying having to leave a message.
“Angelique doesn’t know about Ophelia right?” Beth was getting more worried by the second.
“Probably not, but I rather not take the chance.” Ben said, looking worried.
“Well you can both rest assured. Angelique is apparently on the trace of a human seer.” Jules decided to add to the conversation.
“So we need to stop her from committing her next murder…” Beth sounded grim.
*fade back to the crime scene*
Ophelia was looking through the notes of the shopkeeper, touching an old black and white photo when she suddenly froze up, her eyes going black.
There’s a clearing in the woods, an altar, no more of a sacrificial slab. There’s a cult. A child is led there, it’s tears wetting the blindfold. Angelique caresses it’s cheek. “Soon dear heart, your power of sight will be mine. And I will become unstoppable.”
“NOOO!” the scream was heart wrenching, she was breathing hard, tears streaming down her cheeks, bordering on hysterics.
The slap in the face snapped her out of it and Mick wrapped his arms around her, kissing the top of her head and hugging him to her. “I’m sorry, I just wanted you to snap out of it.”
“It’s ok I’m not mad. I’m fine.” She whispered.
He let go of her, looking into her eyes to see whether hers were the same steel blue as his again, sighing with relief when he sees them change back to human eyes.
“We need to find out where this cult gathers, they’ve kidnapped a child. I think I can ID it if I see missing person’s reports, we have no time to waste.”
Mick voice-over
“I hate it when children get taken. Ever since I rescued Beth from Coraline I’ve had a special intolerance for vamps preying on kids. If it’s up to me Angelique is going to end up in a trial by fire like she deserves.”
Mm ba ba de
Um bum ba de
Um bu bu bum da de
Pressure pushing down on me
Pressing down on you no man ask for
Under pressure - that burns a building down
Splits a family in two
Puts people on streets
Um ba ba be
Um ba ba be
De day da
Ee day da - that's o.k.
It's the terror of knowing
What the world is about
Watching some good friends
Screaming 'Let me out'
*fade to Ben’s office.*
“Right these are all the recent missing Afro American children’s reports, the ones from within Haitian and African communities are on top.” Beth handed Ophelia the files.
“Thanks Beth.” She sat down at Ben’s desk and started looking at photos.
“Jules did that guy you interrogated tell you where they meet?” Mick asked.
“Yes but it’s very cryptic. Like a riddle.” Ben answered before Jules got the chance, rubbing his temples.
“Let’s hear it anyway.” Mick sounded determined.
Ophelia looked up from the files frowning when Beth read it aloud from her notes.
“I will dance to the beat of my soul’s own drum. On the riddle of the moon’s still song. In the clearing where the wolf howled not.”
“No moon… wolves don’t howl at the sky when there’s no moon.” Jules said, suddenly getting it. “So we can safely assume that they’ll hold whatever murderous sacrificial ceremony Angelique has planned on the next night there is no moon.”
“Where the wolf howled not.” That makes no sense Beth mused.
“Wolfrock creek!” Mick and Ophelia shouted together in sudden realisation.
“What? Wolfrock creek? What’s Wolfrock creek?” Ben frowned.
“Yes! There’s a clearing in the Angeles National Forest! Not too far from the old camping grounds! Kids used to go there all the time when we were well, kids.” Mick said.
“There’s a big old rock there that looks a bit like a wolf’s head. Which is why we call it Wolfrock creek!” Ophelia added.
“Guys no moon is tonight.” Ben noted.
“We better hurry.” Beth stood.
“Jules, you’re with Ophelia and me. Ben, be there at midnight, bring back-up.”
“No, be there at 3.30 am.”
“That’s way too late.” Mick said, shaking his head.
“Midnight is the witching hour, 3 am is the hour of the wolf. The time when most children are born and most people die. That’s when it will go down, trust me.”
“That child’s life is on your hands. If you are wrong Ophelia…” Ben starts.
“Weight of the world on my shoulders, what else is new.” She interrupts him, shrugging, returning her attention on the files before her.
*fade to a forest view, trees looking menacing in the dark moonless sky. Moon jars were spreading an eerie blue glow amongst the rocks put in a circle formation. The altar in the middle. There was a human skull on it, blades and bloodied chicken corpses. A fresh hog’s head, blood dripping from it onto the grass. The vampires had been waiting in the trees from midnight. Watched when the cult arrived and bound a small child to the altar just before 3 am.
The child was blindfolded and crying, begging to be released. Begging for it’s parents. Ten minutes later, at 3 am exact, Angelique appeared, striding forward, her body hidden in a long black hooded cloak. They sensed her as she sensed them.
“You are welcome tonight my fellow night devil. Tonight I shall become an oracle and you will be a witness, I may even let you live.”
“Ophelia dropped out of the tree first, taking advantage of the bokor clearly assuming she came alone, her eyes black as she looked into Angelique’s now silver ones.”
“Trust me, it’s not a power worth killing for.”
“You… you have the power, how did you get hold of it?”
Ophelia leaned over, whispering something in Angelique’s ear. When the bokor stabbed the knife in her side she gasped, sinking to her knees. “I will have your hart and eyes as well as this child’s oracle. Then your power will be mine for sure.” Angelique hissed into Ophelia’s ear. “And not even your precious ‘family’ will be able to stop me!”
The cult rose as one, chanting, when Angelique pulled the knife out. Ophelia’s scream filling the clearing, acting as a signal to her companions.
Jules and Mick dropped down as the scream was exactly the queue they were waiting for, just as Angelique raised the dagger to strike again. Mick charged at some of the cultists whilst Angelique was thrown down by a large wolf with light brown fur, it snarled into her face, it’s eyes silver.
Ophelia sat up, the wound in her side already healed and she grinned nastily, eyes still black, as she rammed the stake home into Angelique’s heart.
“Shift back, they’re coming. Josef!”
The last of their group jumped from the trees, looking positively vexed. “First you make me sit in a tree for hours like some god damned hippy, and now I am in the middle of some fight?” He slammed a cultist who launched at him in the chest, sending him flying into a tree. He hauled Angelique over his shoulder and disappeared in between the trees, whilst his friends kept on fighting.”
“This is the LAPD, you are surrounded. Stand down and raise your hands where we can see them.”
“Mick St-John, clear me!” He raised his hands and waved at the cavalry.
“Ophelia St-John, I have the kid they kidnapped with me, clear us!” She called out from besides her brother.
“Jules Duvall, clear me!” Jules waved with one hand, the other still around the throat of a cultist, slowly chocking the life out of the man.
“You guys are cleared, move over to the right side outside of the circle” they heard Carl’s voice.
They sighed in relief when they saw the proverbial cavalry stride through the trees, keeping weapons locked onto remaining cultists.
Ophelia knelt down and removed the blindfold from the child’s eyes. Looking into pitch black eyes and gasping, her eyes turning black reflexively. The small boy blinked “your eyes are like mine. Can you see also?”
“Yes. What’s your name?”
“Noan.”
She smiled, her eyes returning to human.
“Pleasure to meet you Noan. Don’t be afraid, we’ll take you home.”
His eyes turned from black to brown “I know, I can sense your hearts, you aren’t the bad guys. Where’s the bokor?”
Beth kneeled down and looked Noan in the eye “she won’t ever be able to hurt anyone anymore.”
“Can I go home now please?”
“Yes, you will see your mother again very soon.” Mick said calmly, sinking down to the child’s level as well.
The boy nodded, hugging his small arms around Mick’s neck when the vampire reached out for him, allowing himself being picked up. He whispered into the man’s ear “you’re not a monster, no matter what you think, you aren’t a monster.”
He merely smiled sadly at the boy, before carrying him to an unmarked car waiting to take him to his mother.
*fade to the precinct, where Noan ran into his mother’s arms. She cried tears of happiness and profoundly thanked the group that had returned her son to her. Hugging them all.
“Thank you so much.” She engulfed Beth in another hug.
“We were only doing our job Mrs Lareaux.” Ben said warmly.
“Tell your community not to fear Les servants du Noir anymore. We have taken out their leaders tonight.” Jules reassured her.
The woman sounded grave “I can but hope you are right sir, I can but hope.”
She looked at Ophelia. “You are always welcome in our community sister.”
“I will keep it in mind, thank you.”
Noan reached out to the girl, demanding another hug. He rested his forehead against hers, and she smiled. No one saw it didn’t quite reach her eyes.
“Tu n’est pas seul tu sais.”
“Merci mon ami” she whispered in the boy’s ear. “N’as pas peur petit. Nous te protégeront.”
“Je sais.” He replied.
They watched them leave together, mother and son, and Beth smiled. “I’m so glad this ended well. What happened to Angelique?”
“The cleaner’s executed her.” Mick said softly, so no one could overhear their group.
Ben patted his friend on the shoulder to alert Carl walking in.
“Well it seems I’ll be seeing more of you Detective Duval.” Carl said, he didn’t seem to have made up his mind whether that was good news or bad.
“Really Lieutenant Davis, why is that?” Jules asked, mock curiosity in his voice.
“Your request for international liaison has been approved, you’ve been assigned to be my partner.” Carl was definitely unsure whether to like this situation or hate it.
“Well seems I’ll be around for a while longer then.” Jules grins, ignoring the surprised and shocked stares from the rest.
Ophelia simply buried her head in her hands and shaked her head, pausing for a second and blinking, before starting off in an angry French outburst at Jules, who merely laughed.
*fade to Beth’s apartment, Mick inhaling the smell of Ben and Beth’s dinner looking jealous as his mortal friends were eating. Ophelia sat in the sofa, sketching.*
Ben grinned, picking up his plate and glass and moving over to sit with her, leaving Mick and Beth to have their own conversation, something they were all too happy to engage in.
“Whatcha drawing?”
“Something I saw.”
“In a vision?”
“Yeah, earlier tonight. It’s probably nothing…”
Ben leaned in to see what his girlfriend was drawing and she held it up for him. He frowned. “Let me get you some dinner ok darling.”
She nodded gratefully, returning to her drawing of a hand with an infinity symbol scar.
Lyrics:
Symphony nr 5
David Bowie “Magic Dance”
Queen “Under Pressure”
-----
Enchanté: pleasure to meet you.
Quoi: what
Tu sais parfaitement bien Jules!: You know perfectly well what Jules.
Jules, laisse cette fille et rejoin nous s’il-te-plait: Jules leave that girl and rejoin us please
Une minute: just a minute
No, maintenant Jules, on n’as pas toute la journée tu sais: no, right now Jules, we don't have all day you know
Les servants du Noir: The Servants of the Dark
Tu n’est pas seul tu sais: you're not alone you know
Merci mon ami: thank you my friend
N’as pas peur petit. Nous te protégeront: don't be afraid little one. We will protect you.
Je sais: I know
Author’s note: my French is rather rusty after years of not having written it much, so I apologise for any mistakes in spelling I made!
[x]Author: hildekitten
[x]Rating: all ages
[x]Warning: none
[x]Pairing: the usual suspects
[x]Genre: General
[x]Spoilers: n/a, this happens after the events of season 1
[x]Summary: A vampire serial killer is on the loose in LA with religious slaughter in mind. And to top it off one of Mick's "uncles" shows up in LA with his own agenda.
[x]Disclaimer: Not my toys, I'm just borrowing them, no infringement is intended!
1. Reunion
2. Really no such thing as vampires
3. On the prowl
4. Fresh from the vein
5. Busted
6. Can't choose your relatives, part 1 and 2
Halloween
The Wild Hunt part 1, two and three.
The vampire gentlemen’s club, the pinnacle of proper social behaviour for vampire society. There was a soft hum of conversations and Symphony nr 5 playing in the background. Vampires were playing pool, enjoying a quiet drink amongst friends or business partners, generally minding themselves or their own little circle. Ophelia was the only vampire girl in there, all the other women present were mortal freshies. She was playing chess with a tall gorgeous blonde man who seemed to be in his mid twenties, his long golden blonde hair nearly reaching his waist. He was dressed in an all black suit with white shirt and black skinny tie.
“Consider you next move carefully.” His deep voice was soft when he spoke, a twinkle of amusement in his blue eyes as he crossed his long legs, earning himself a few disapproving looks from other men present over his combat boots under his suit. If he even noticed them he ignored them.
She bit her bottom lip in concentration before moving a piece on the board.
“Very clever.” He nodded appreciatively.
“Why are you here? It can’t be to beat me at chess yet again.”
“I’m here on business, besides if you keep playing like that I fear it would be me that will get beaten at chess this time.”
“You’re with the Paris police department, what possible business could you have here.”
“I’m working with the local D.A.’s office, my contact is a Ben Talbot, I’m supposed to meet him later.”
She gave him her best sceptic look “Just tell me what’s going on.”
“Angelique is back.” He made his move on the chessboard.
She let out a low whistle.
“I need your help Ophelia.”
“Oh this is just beyond the pale!”
“You know I do.”
“Ok fine but only because I like Ben Talbot and grandfather would never let me hear the end of it if I don’t keep an eye on you.” She said dryly, making her next move. “Checkmate!” she shouted triumphantly.
“You’ve gotten better at this.” He nodded appreciatively at her game and leaned back, sipping from his glass, his intense blue eyes unreadable.
You remind me of the babe
What babe?
the babe with the power
What power?
power of voodoo
Who do?
you do
Do what?
remind me of the babe
*fade to Josef wandering into Mick’s office.*
Mick was sitting at his desk, filling out paperwork. He sat back when he saw his best friend let himself in as usual and leaned back into his chair.
“Josef, what brings you here?” He sounded glad for the distraction.
“Trouble.” Josef said earnestly.
“What kind?”
“Woman trouble.” Josef flopped down in the opposite chair, swinging one leg over another and leaning back casually.
“Did you have a fight with Simone?”
“Oh no, nothing like that, we’re peachy, peas in a pod if you get my saying.”
“I get it, I get it.”
“But we do have an issue. And it is with a woman.” He threw a photo on the desk, the young woman in the photo looked menacing, mocha coloured skin and brown eyes so dark they could have easily been mistaken for black. “Angelique Moreau, a vampire bokor. And one of the most dangerous serial killers our kind has ever encountered. She pops up once every couple of years and leaves a trail of bodies in her wake. She’s come to L.A. I need you to find her so we can deal with her permanently, before she reveals our secret to the world.”
“What’s a bokor?” Mick sounded suspicious.
“Evil voodoo priestess.”
“Well that’s different at least.”
“Don’t worry, it’s all hocus pocus mind tricks and no real magic. You know how it is with these witches.” He even made air quotes at the word witches.
“Uhu” Mick nodded mildly amused. “When you say ‘we’ you really mean me and my sister right?”
“Of course!” Josef smiles. “Use that blood hound of hers too if you must.”
“Thought so.” Mick sighed deeply studying the photo. “So tell me more about her.”
“She’s about four hundred years old, only a little younger than myself, originally a slave girl. She grew up with the old beliefs of her people, it is whispered that once she was turned she used her so called powers of voodoo to kill those that enslaved her. She’s been killing in the name of her religion ever since. Every once in a while she shows up, sacrifices several humans and disappears again. Or better said, butchers them. She attracts far too much attention on our kind, especially since recently the bodies are drained too, I don’t need to explain to you what an exposure risk she is I’m sure!” Josef was getting worked up, as he usually did with impending revelation of the existence of vampires. Or what he saw as impending exposure and the revelation of vampire kind at least.
Mick voice-over
“Just when I think I’ve seen everything something new comes up. And when I generally think that paranoia is just another for of art or a hobby to Josef, I have to agree with him this time, this ‘bokor’ could pose a serious threat to our secrecy. Plus I really ate it when vamps bring their antics to LA. This is my turf.”
*fade to Ben’s office.*
Carl was reaching out a hand to the tall blonde French cop and shaking it.
“Lieutenant Carl Davis, nice to meet you.”
“Detective Jules Duvall. The pleasure is all mine.”
“Wow your English is excellent, you can’t even hear much of an accent. I’m sure ADA Talbot will be here any time, he’s running late from court. Ophelia do you need me to pass Ben a message?” Carl was dropping clues for her to leave.
“I’m working the case.” She said matter of factly.
“Says who?” Carl gave her a look of disbelief and put his hands in his side in his usual annoyed way.
“She’s assisting me.” Jules said. “We worked together in France so I looked her up.”
“I hope you know what you’re getting into my friend.” Carl said dryly, but with a chuckle. “She’s a handful.”
“Don’t I know it.” Jules nodded in agreement.
“I’m standing right here you know!” Ophelia complained.
“Detective Duvall I presume?” Ben interrupted them, entering his office.
He walked in with Beth, leaning in to kiss Ophelia on the cheek in greeting.
“Yes, Ben Talbot?”
“Yes indeed, and this is my assistant Beth Turner.”
“Enchanté.” He bowed and kissed Beth’s hand, making her blush a rather vibrant shade of red.
“You say your last name is Duvall, are you by any chance related to Sir Cédric?” she looked at him curiously, eyes narrowed in suspicion.
“Yes, yes I am. Does it show?” he asked warmly, leaning in just a little too closely.
“Very much so indeed, you have the same hair colour, and eyes.” Beth blushed some more.
“Ophelia steered Jules away from Beth, into Ben’s office proper, making faces at him.”
“Quoi?!”
“Tu sais parfaitement bien Jules!”
“Do they know each other?” Ben asked.
“If I’m not mistaken that’s one of Cédric’s boys so yes.” Beth replied, slowly returning to her usual skin tone.
Ben went wide eyed. “Really?”
“I take it the St-John and Duvall families are close then?” Carl asked, sounding not all that interested.
“You could say that yes.” Beth nodded.
*fade to Logan’s basement, where Mick and Beth were standing behind Logan rapidly typing at his keyboard.*
“I’ve looked up all the occult stores known to be dealing with voodoo, and all the places unknown to google and legitimate internet searches that are known to host gatherings. I’ve included the santeria ones too, just to be complete, although from what I understand about this, and that isn’t a lot, it’s not the same thing. Sadly the list is short because apparently this is a rather close-knit and secretive community. Invitation only sort of stuff. But this should at least get you on your way.”
“Thanks man.” Mick said, slapping a roll of bills in Logan’s hand.
“Are we sure this is where she’ll be?” Beth asked, suspiciously eyeing some of Logan’s new female action figures.
“Well no, but we need to start somewhere whilst my ‘uncle’ runs about town with my sister and your boss. What’s he like anyway? Anything like Lance?”
“Lance scares me. A lot.” Logan interjected nodding sagely.
“He’s nothing like Lance at all!” Beth sounded airy. “He’s charming, and looks like a male supermodel.”
Mick just made a face at her and Logan raised his eyebrows, looking from Beth to Mick and back.
“Oh you’ll see soon enough, we’re meeting at the Edison in 20 minutes.” Beth sighed, giving them both an “oh you’ll understand when you see him” kind of look.
*fade to the Edison*
The Edison was quiet enough, some people having drinks or lunch, talking in a friendly atmosphere. Jules was leaning on a high table, flirting with a pretty black haired girl in a grey dress that hugged her perfect figure. She seemed very receptive to his charm, giggling and sipping her drink whilst batting her eyelids at him.
“He looks a lot younger than your uncle Lance. And a lot different.” Ben was looking at Jules with a frown on his face. He was trying to have a salad lunch but kept on finding himself distracted by the display of French flirtation across the room.
“Oh Jules is the belle epoch golden boy, in the early twentieth century grandfather and Célia just had to have another kid and broke out the compound. Apparently seven kids is for quitters.”
“I don’t know, your parents and mine both stopped at two, two seems a good number for kids. Seven just seems very excessive” Ben mused.
“So you want two kids then?”
“Some day yeah.” He smiled warmly at her. “No rush though, we’re both still young.”
She grinned. “Two sounds fine.”
He glanced over to Jules again and then to his own girlfriend “You seem very close.”
Ben took a sip from his juice, his eyes met hers.
Ophelia just chuckled.
Ben narrowed his eyes “what’s the deal?”
“He’s my ex boyfriend.” She said dryly, just as Ben was drinking from his glass. He chocked on the drink, coughing loudly. Beth, who had just walked in with Mick quickened her pace to their table and started slapping him on the back.
“What did you say to him?” She asked Ophelia. “I bet it’s good. Oh my god, is he at it _again_?” Having noticed Jules flirting rather shamelessly she shook her head.
“That is one exceedingly handsome guy.” Mick nodded earnestly, resisting the need to let out a low whistle from being impressed. “Josef is going to get so much stress, I have to introduce them.” He smiled evilly.
“Did you know your sister dated him?” Ben asked, still in shock.
“You did?!” Mick exclaimed, joining his friend’s shock.
“It was a long time ago, can we get back to the case here?”
“I like this story better I’m sure.”
“Case first, and maybe if you’re good, I’ll tell the story later. Jules, laisse cette fille et rejoin nous s’il-te-plait .” She shouted out at her uncle in perfect French.
“Une minute Ophelia.”
“No, maintenant Jules, on n’as pas toute la journée tu sais.”
He rolled his eyes, apologised to the girl, who was positively swooning at the display of French and wandered over.
“Jealous?”
She made a thinking face, holding up her hands in a measuring sort of way. Hmmm golden haired gorgeous playboy who can’t keep his dick in his pants versus gorgeous tall dark and wiry who’s loyal to the core.” She balanced her hands in abundantly clear favour of Ben. “How ever could I be jealous of that girl you were flirting with?” she chuckled then and smiled.
“You forgot divine in bed.” Jules joked along.
“You are right, I did forget to state Ben is divine in bed.” She replied dryly.
Ben cleared his throat, his discomfort at the situation obvious. “Right, back to the case. As we know Angelique kills in the name of religion. Our best way would be to find someone who can infiltrate that community and sniff her out. Sadly, we don’t have anyone who we can trust who has the knowledge to get in. By the time we’ve reached out to all the precincts to see if they have someone it’ll be a week from now at best but it seems to be the best bet so far. Carl is already making the enquiries.”
“Oh but we do have someone.” Jules smiled.
“We do?” Beth asked.
Jules lazily waved a hand at Ophelia. “Natural redhead and a seer. And a practitioner.”
“Of Santeria, yes, in the past. And there’s a huge difference between being a bokor and a voodoun, as you well know.”
“Wing it. There’s lives at stake. There were enough victims in Paris last year.”
“So you are a witch…” Mick said, narrowing his eyes.
“Were, past tense. I didn’t lie when I said I’m not a witch. I’ve not been a practising believer since the ninetees, not after Angelique showed up in Paris...”
“Yeah but you still know how things flow in the community, that means that you have a better chance of getting anywhere than either one of us.” Jules continued, trying to convince her.
“Fine, fine I’ll do it.”
“Think of Paris my dear.” He said, pronouncing Paris in French.
Flash back to Paris.
Ophelia is walking into the room with Jules, gasping at the carnage in front of them. There’s several bodies on the floor in front of an altar. Their hearts removed. Flies circling crawling in and out of the wounds, out of mouths and over dead eyes still open in terror. The stench of death is sending several police officers outside to throw up. She turns, hiding her face in Jules’ long black coat.
Jules is holding Ophelia against him and whispers “do your thing seer.”
“Do your thing seer.”
She snaps out of it, looking back at Jules.
“Show me the last crime scene.”
“Mick can take you, here’s the address, I’ll alert LAPD you are there with my authorisation. Jules, Beth and I will start to do some interviews of people from the community.” Ben hands Mick a piece of paper and a set of keys.
“Awkward.” Beth whispered at Mick whilst kissing him softly before leaving with the two men.
Mick-voice over
“How typical is it that this guy is my sister’s ex. I knew she had been with someone in France for a long time but I didn’t think, well I hoped really, that it wouldn’t be someone from the family. I suppose that on the upside, at least she didn’t date Lance.”
*fade to an occult shop, there’s a crime scene ribbon stretched over the entrance.*
Mick pulled it loose on one side, opening the door with the key he got off Talbot.
“What does Jules expect you to do? Get a vision on command?”
“My senses are just a little sharper than yours remember.”
“There’s something not quite right about Jules, other than the fact he’s obviously a man whore. What did you see in that guy?” Mick blurts it out, obviously needing to get to the bottom of this huge big riddle taunting his sanity.
“I wonder that too every time I see him, we’re a lot better off as friends. But you are correct, then again, he didn’t start out quite human so I suppose I shouldn’t be too hard on him.” She shrugs and wanders into the store, staring at the mess in front of her.
The realisation dawns on Mick’s face. “He’s a crossbreed isn’t he?”
“Like mother like son in this case. A werewolf before a vampire.”
“Did you tell Ben?”
“Oh lord no, it’ll be so much more fun when he works it out himself, the look on his face will be priceless, I just hope I’ll be there to see it.”
“This is payback for last time isn’t it?”
“Hell yeah.”
“You have a mean streak sis. Some would say you’re evil, just be careful so this kind of behaviour doesn’t backfire.” He looks around properly for the first time, letting out a low whistle. “Speaking of evil…”
“I am my grandsire’s granddaughter.” She replied dryly. “Now shush and let me concentrate.”
She put both her hands on the ground, onto spots of dried blood, concentrating, tapping into her oracular ability as far as it’ll let her.
She sees flashes of fear from the shopkeeper, eyes wide at the sight of Angelique vamped out. Hears his screams, to no avail because there’s no one that hears him, no one to come to his aid. The slow thump of his still beating heart in her hands as she grinned and drained the blood from it. Then the sight of Angelique tearing through the shop, frustrated.”
“She’s looking for something…” Ophelia whispered, too quiet for her brother to hear.
“Did you get anything? All I can sense is bloodshed and fear.”
“I said Angelique is looking for something, but I don’t know what.”
“Let’s go through the stock and see we find any clues.”
She nodded, standing up again and looking around.
Mick reached out, a hand on her shoulder and looking at her pale face with worry in his eyes. “You ok?”
“Yeah, I’ll be fine.”
*fade to Jules who is interrogating a suspect in an interrogation room at the DA’s offices.*
“You speak French right?” Beth asked Ben.
“Not a damned word. I’m starting to think I should have send you with Mick and kept Ophelia here to translate.”
“At least the DA won’t complain about translator fees this time.” Beth offers a silver lining.
Ben smirks “that’s true yes.”
“You don’t trust him don’t you?” She asked, looking at Ben questioningly.
“No. No I don’t. And it’s not because he’s Ophelia’s ex, there’s something about him, something that’s not quite right.”
“Well he is a Duvall, there’s something off about that entire family.”
“There’s something to say to that. Here he comes.”
Jules came back outside, joining Ben and Beth. “Apparently Angelique is looking for the heart and eyes of a seer. She believes it will give her the powers of an oracle.”
“We need to find Ophelia.” Ben fished his blackberry from her pocket.
“Ophelia’s with Mick, the both will be able to deal with Angelique right?” Beth asked, sounding concerned.
“In theory yes, but I rather not take chances.” Ben nodded, dialing his girlfriend’s number. “Answer phone, why is it always her answer phone.” He growled.
“Lia, it’s Ben, call me as soon as you hear this. I mean it.” He sounded more than a little annoying having to leave a message.
“Angelique doesn’t know about Ophelia right?” Beth was getting more worried by the second.
“Probably not, but I rather not take the chance.” Ben said, looking worried.
“Well you can both rest assured. Angelique is apparently on the trace of a human seer.” Jules decided to add to the conversation.
“So we need to stop her from committing her next murder…” Beth sounded grim.
*fade back to the crime scene*
Ophelia was looking through the notes of the shopkeeper, touching an old black and white photo when she suddenly froze up, her eyes going black.
There’s a clearing in the woods, an altar, no more of a sacrificial slab. There’s a cult. A child is led there, it’s tears wetting the blindfold. Angelique caresses it’s cheek. “Soon dear heart, your power of sight will be mine. And I will become unstoppable.”
“NOOO!” the scream was heart wrenching, she was breathing hard, tears streaming down her cheeks, bordering on hysterics.
The slap in the face snapped her out of it and Mick wrapped his arms around her, kissing the top of her head and hugging him to her. “I’m sorry, I just wanted you to snap out of it.”
“It’s ok I’m not mad. I’m fine.” She whispered.
He let go of her, looking into her eyes to see whether hers were the same steel blue as his again, sighing with relief when he sees them change back to human eyes.
“We need to find out where this cult gathers, they’ve kidnapped a child. I think I can ID it if I see missing person’s reports, we have no time to waste.”
Mick voice-over
“I hate it when children get taken. Ever since I rescued Beth from Coraline I’ve had a special intolerance for vamps preying on kids. If it’s up to me Angelique is going to end up in a trial by fire like she deserves.”
Mm ba ba de
Um bum ba de
Um bu bu bum da de
Pressure pushing down on me
Pressing down on you no man ask for
Under pressure - that burns a building down
Splits a family in two
Puts people on streets
Um ba ba be
Um ba ba be
De day da
Ee day da - that's o.k.
It's the terror of knowing
What the world is about
Watching some good friends
Screaming 'Let me out'
*fade to Ben’s office.*
“Right these are all the recent missing Afro American children’s reports, the ones from within Haitian and African communities are on top.” Beth handed Ophelia the files.
“Thanks Beth.” She sat down at Ben’s desk and started looking at photos.
“Jules did that guy you interrogated tell you where they meet?” Mick asked.
“Yes but it’s very cryptic. Like a riddle.” Ben answered before Jules got the chance, rubbing his temples.
“Let’s hear it anyway.” Mick sounded determined.
Ophelia looked up from the files frowning when Beth read it aloud from her notes.
“I will dance to the beat of my soul’s own drum. On the riddle of the moon’s still song. In the clearing where the wolf howled not.”
“No moon… wolves don’t howl at the sky when there’s no moon.” Jules said, suddenly getting it. “So we can safely assume that they’ll hold whatever murderous sacrificial ceremony Angelique has planned on the next night there is no moon.”
“Where the wolf howled not.” That makes no sense Beth mused.
“Wolfrock creek!” Mick and Ophelia shouted together in sudden realisation.
“What? Wolfrock creek? What’s Wolfrock creek?” Ben frowned.
“Yes! There’s a clearing in the Angeles National Forest! Not too far from the old camping grounds! Kids used to go there all the time when we were well, kids.” Mick said.
“There’s a big old rock there that looks a bit like a wolf’s head. Which is why we call it Wolfrock creek!” Ophelia added.
“Guys no moon is tonight.” Ben noted.
“We better hurry.” Beth stood.
“Jules, you’re with Ophelia and me. Ben, be there at midnight, bring back-up.”
“No, be there at 3.30 am.”
“That’s way too late.” Mick said, shaking his head.
“Midnight is the witching hour, 3 am is the hour of the wolf. The time when most children are born and most people die. That’s when it will go down, trust me.”
“That child’s life is on your hands. If you are wrong Ophelia…” Ben starts.
“Weight of the world on my shoulders, what else is new.” She interrupts him, shrugging, returning her attention on the files before her.
*fade to a forest view, trees looking menacing in the dark moonless sky. Moon jars were spreading an eerie blue glow amongst the rocks put in a circle formation. The altar in the middle. There was a human skull on it, blades and bloodied chicken corpses. A fresh hog’s head, blood dripping from it onto the grass. The vampires had been waiting in the trees from midnight. Watched when the cult arrived and bound a small child to the altar just before 3 am.
The child was blindfolded and crying, begging to be released. Begging for it’s parents. Ten minutes later, at 3 am exact, Angelique appeared, striding forward, her body hidden in a long black hooded cloak. They sensed her as she sensed them.
“You are welcome tonight my fellow night devil. Tonight I shall become an oracle and you will be a witness, I may even let you live.”
“Ophelia dropped out of the tree first, taking advantage of the bokor clearly assuming she came alone, her eyes black as she looked into Angelique’s now silver ones.”
“Trust me, it’s not a power worth killing for.”
“You… you have the power, how did you get hold of it?”
Ophelia leaned over, whispering something in Angelique’s ear. When the bokor stabbed the knife in her side she gasped, sinking to her knees. “I will have your hart and eyes as well as this child’s oracle. Then your power will be mine for sure.” Angelique hissed into Ophelia’s ear. “And not even your precious ‘family’ will be able to stop me!”
The cult rose as one, chanting, when Angelique pulled the knife out. Ophelia’s scream filling the clearing, acting as a signal to her companions.
Jules and Mick dropped down as the scream was exactly the queue they were waiting for, just as Angelique raised the dagger to strike again. Mick charged at some of the cultists whilst Angelique was thrown down by a large wolf with light brown fur, it snarled into her face, it’s eyes silver.
Ophelia sat up, the wound in her side already healed and she grinned nastily, eyes still black, as she rammed the stake home into Angelique’s heart.
“Shift back, they’re coming. Josef!”
The last of their group jumped from the trees, looking positively vexed. “First you make me sit in a tree for hours like some god damned hippy, and now I am in the middle of some fight?” He slammed a cultist who launched at him in the chest, sending him flying into a tree. He hauled Angelique over his shoulder and disappeared in between the trees, whilst his friends kept on fighting.”
“This is the LAPD, you are surrounded. Stand down and raise your hands where we can see them.”
“Mick St-John, clear me!” He raised his hands and waved at the cavalry.
“Ophelia St-John, I have the kid they kidnapped with me, clear us!” She called out from besides her brother.
“Jules Duvall, clear me!” Jules waved with one hand, the other still around the throat of a cultist, slowly chocking the life out of the man.
“You guys are cleared, move over to the right side outside of the circle” they heard Carl’s voice.
They sighed in relief when they saw the proverbial cavalry stride through the trees, keeping weapons locked onto remaining cultists.
Ophelia knelt down and removed the blindfold from the child’s eyes. Looking into pitch black eyes and gasping, her eyes turning black reflexively. The small boy blinked “your eyes are like mine. Can you see also?”
“Yes. What’s your name?”
“Noan.”
She smiled, her eyes returning to human.
“Pleasure to meet you Noan. Don’t be afraid, we’ll take you home.”
His eyes turned from black to brown “I know, I can sense your hearts, you aren’t the bad guys. Where’s the bokor?”
Beth kneeled down and looked Noan in the eye “she won’t ever be able to hurt anyone anymore.”
“Can I go home now please?”
“Yes, you will see your mother again very soon.” Mick said calmly, sinking down to the child’s level as well.
The boy nodded, hugging his small arms around Mick’s neck when the vampire reached out for him, allowing himself being picked up. He whispered into the man’s ear “you’re not a monster, no matter what you think, you aren’t a monster.”
He merely smiled sadly at the boy, before carrying him to an unmarked car waiting to take him to his mother.
*fade to the precinct, where Noan ran into his mother’s arms. She cried tears of happiness and profoundly thanked the group that had returned her son to her. Hugging them all.
“Thank you so much.” She engulfed Beth in another hug.
“We were only doing our job Mrs Lareaux.” Ben said warmly.
“Tell your community not to fear Les servants du Noir anymore. We have taken out their leaders tonight.” Jules reassured her.
The woman sounded grave “I can but hope you are right sir, I can but hope.”
She looked at Ophelia. “You are always welcome in our community sister.”
“I will keep it in mind, thank you.”
Noan reached out to the girl, demanding another hug. He rested his forehead against hers, and she smiled. No one saw it didn’t quite reach her eyes.
“Tu n’est pas seul tu sais.”
“Merci mon ami” she whispered in the boy’s ear. “N’as pas peur petit. Nous te protégeront.”
“Je sais.” He replied.
They watched them leave together, mother and son, and Beth smiled. “I’m so glad this ended well. What happened to Angelique?”
“The cleaner’s executed her.” Mick said softly, so no one could overhear their group.
Ben patted his friend on the shoulder to alert Carl walking in.
“Well it seems I’ll be seeing more of you Detective Duval.” Carl said, he didn’t seem to have made up his mind whether that was good news or bad.
“Really Lieutenant Davis, why is that?” Jules asked, mock curiosity in his voice.
“Your request for international liaison has been approved, you’ve been assigned to be my partner.” Carl was definitely unsure whether to like this situation or hate it.
“Well seems I’ll be around for a while longer then.” Jules grins, ignoring the surprised and shocked stares from the rest.
Ophelia simply buried her head in her hands and shaked her head, pausing for a second and blinking, before starting off in an angry French outburst at Jules, who merely laughed.
*fade to Beth’s apartment, Mick inhaling the smell of Ben and Beth’s dinner looking jealous as his mortal friends were eating. Ophelia sat in the sofa, sketching.*
Ben grinned, picking up his plate and glass and moving over to sit with her, leaving Mick and Beth to have their own conversation, something they were all too happy to engage in.
“Whatcha drawing?”
“Something I saw.”
“In a vision?”
“Yeah, earlier tonight. It’s probably nothing…”
Ben leaned in to see what his girlfriend was drawing and she held it up for him. He frowned. “Let me get you some dinner ok darling.”
She nodded gratefully, returning to her drawing of a hand with an infinity symbol scar.
Lyrics:
Symphony nr 5
David Bowie “Magic Dance”
Queen “Under Pressure”
-----
Enchanté: pleasure to meet you.
Quoi: what
Tu sais parfaitement bien Jules!: You know perfectly well what Jules.
Jules, laisse cette fille et rejoin nous s’il-te-plait: Jules leave that girl and rejoin us please
Une minute: just a minute
No, maintenant Jules, on n’as pas toute la journée tu sais: no, right now Jules, we don't have all day you know
Les servants du Noir: The Servants of the Dark
Tu n’est pas seul tu sais: you're not alone you know
Merci mon ami: thank you my friend
N’as pas peur petit. Nous te protégeront: don't be afraid little one. We will protect you.
Je sais: I know
Author’s note: my French is rather rusty after years of not having written it much, so I apologise for any mistakes in spelling I made!